What it means to me to be a designer

Well I feel like a bit of a cheat talking about what it means for me to be a designer when I don't particularly consider myself to be a designer!! I have only recently been introduced to this world with the start of this course in Interactive media. Building on what I have learned already from Bill Buxton; sketching the user experience and Don Norman; the design of everyday things. As well as being surrounded by talented designers I have learned about the important elements involved, such as:

Usability and accessibility, prototyping, iterations, heuristics, E-learning (on-line tutorials are great:)), evaluations, knowing your audience and design with the user in mind.

I do like to gather ideas, whether it be from magazine cut outs to photographs I take and not least sketches of surroundings or from ideas that come to mind. I think one of the essential characteristics of what it means to be a designer is the ability to keep up to date with the different technologies and to update on software skills to stay ahead and compete. I believe it is a great advantage for a designer to be able to pick up quickly how to use new software. Java script is becoming almost an essential skill to have as a designer. Im hoping any day now god will grant me a gift to better understand java code so I can do good in this world, im sure he will come around to this way of thinking soon!!!

Watching television ads I wonder what software and techniques were used, in the same way I view the intro to sitcoms and how music compliments the graphics, it inspires me to want to do things like that but sometimes it also depresses me because I think maybe its way out of my league and I should give up now! Check out this really cool ending credits for sherlock Holmes:  


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKIUHpyRk1I (unfortunatley embedding is disabled for this clip)

I want to make this!!!! 

In evaluating different designs and websites I compare them to what I have seen before, sometimes I think of little things I would add to it and console myself with; 'I could possibly do this if I tried hard enough'!! but then again you come across the truly amazing work and im like wow, maybe I should just give up, i mean if there are so many talented and gifted people out there and im just starting out, how can I compete. To try and progress I turn to online tutorials, blogs and advice from class mates and also words of wisdom:

"Design is how an artist changes the world, even if its just a page at a time" (Charles Pabst)

To be a web designer one should be able to represent the company you are designing it for really well by fulfilling the goals of the business and in some way add value to the company. I always think website need that little extra something to give the edge over others and to attract perspective clients.  Here is a good blog on web design. A good eye for detail is also very important and that is expressed in a designers work. Ive been told its not all about the money, but surely it helps!! I think its a healthy relationship; i design and people give me money; a win win situation all round.

With the right software under my nose, it seems a shame to waste this opportunity not to design and create new things and learn from what has gone before to create the new. I have already got a grasp on photoshop and accepting it as a new best friend or bff, im sure i will accept flash too some day!! Prototyping for my thesis will prove an invaluable learning experience in design for me I hope, I will have to update you on how i get on with it and what I have learned alone the way.

till then............